Solar success
One of the country’s largest solar farms, Kōwhai Park at Christchurch Airport is now officially open with around 300,000 solar panels.
The South Island’s largest solar farm, Kōwhai Park, officially opened in Christchurch on 15 October, adding 150MWac (168MWdc) of renewable generation capacity to New Zealand’s electricity system. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was on hand to cut the ribbon marking a major milestone for the $273 million renewable energy project.
Developed through Contact Energy and Lightsource bp’s joint venture partnership, the Kōwhai Park solar farm at Christchurch Airport is expected to generate 275GWh of renewable energy a year. That’s the equivalent to the annual electricity demand of around 36,000 homes.
The solar farm is already supporting the electrification of New Zealand industry. Both Christchurch Airport and Synlait will source electricity from Kōwhai Park under long-term power purchase agreements. Synlait will buy 25 per cent of the electricity generated to power its Dunsandel and Dairyworks sites.
Around 300,000 solar panels stretch across the 230-hectare site at Christchurch International Airport, creating one of the country’s largest solar farms. Contact CEO Mike Fuge says the Kōwhai Park solar farm demonstrates the opportunity renewable energy presents for New Zealand. “We have huge aspirations for what renewable energy can deliver for this country.”
Adam Pegg, chief operating officer for Asia-Pacific (APAC) at Lightsource bp, comments: “We see significant opportunity for large-scale renewables to support New Zealand’s growing electricity needs, industrial electrification and long-term energy security.”
Christchurch Airport chief executive Justin Watson says: “For us, this has always been about more than a solar farm. Our vision for Kōwhai Park is to create a renewable energy precinct that can deliver long-term value for our region.”
Construction has also delivered local economic benefits, with 235 people employed at the project’s peak and 66 Canterbury businesses involved in helping to build the solar farm.
